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Episode 18
Clinch is Round 18 of the anime adaptation of Morikawa Jouji's Hajime no Ippo series. Summary Ippo, who is tricked into buying juice, goes out and notices a stranger peeking into the gym. The stranger walks away without saying anything, but Ippo, who notices a notebook the stranger dropped, runs after him to give it back. The stranger appears to be Kobashi Kenta, believing Ippo has seen the contents of the notebook, he confesses to be spying, only for Ippo to reveal he was not aware. Before leaving, Kobashi says that despite lacking power, he can still find a way to win. Preoccupied with about the incident with Kobashi, Ippo tells his gym mates, but Kamogawa tells him to find a way to use his opponent's power against him. Meanwhile at the Ohtaki Boxing Gym, Kobashi is sparring when his opponent tells him to improve his punch. As he demonstrated the punch, Kobashi points out that it is easy to dodge, this angers his partner who mocks Kobashi's weakness. Kobashi's trainer calls him over for training, and encourages him, by letting him know that knockouts are not the only thing in boxing. After training, Kobashi and his coach go to a restaurant where they discuss the possibilities of Kobashi (who is nervous about the match) defeating Ippo. The day of Takamura's match, as people speculate on the outcome, Ippo is determined not to lose, so he can set up the mood for the title fight. In the lockers, Kobashi and his coach prepare for the fight, with the latter noting how calm the former is, and the former is studying the information on his opponent. As his turn is up, Ippo goes out with Kamogawa and encounters Takamura, they both wish each other luck as Ippo departs. Entering the ring, both fighters prepare mentally. When the bell rings, Kobashi assumes a never seen before stance, extending his arm out. After a few jabs, Ippo throws a straight to Kobashi who blocks, but gets his guard blown away. Ippo attempts to repeat, but Kobashi easily handles him with his extended arm and when Ippo goes for an uppercut, his opponent clinches. The referee separates Ippo from a clinching Kobashi who clearly dominates the fight by deflecting and dodging Ippo's attacks and making use of his hooks. When Ippo successfully corners him, the bell rings ending the first round. Each boxer discusses strategy with their respective seconds, with Kamogawa being particularly concerned about Ippo's situation. Once Ippo leaves his corner, Kamogawa realises how much sweat there is on the towel, as Aoki and Kimura realise how strong Kobashi really is. As the second round begins, Kobashi once again sets the pace and dominates Ippo who in desperation throws nothing but "wild punches". After finally landing a hit on a guarded Kobashi, Ippo corners him successfully and prepares to finish him, but Kobashi clinches again, stopping Ippo who looks very exhausted. Information Edit Characters Introduced * Yasuda.'' Techniques Introduced * Cross-Arm Block.'' Locations Introduced * Ōtaki Boxing Gym. Gallery Manga and Anime differences * The anime skips Takamura's weight-in after the Training Camp. Category:Anime Episodes Category:Season 1 Episodes